Olivia Wilde Reveals the One Lesson She'll Take With Her and "Put to Good Use"

The red carpet has proved a bit dangerous to me in the past (don't ask me how many times I've fallen over the velvet rope), but it's child's play compared with what the four women honored at last night's Courage in Journalism Awards must deal with on a daily basis—just staying alive.

Last week we introduced you to Nour Kelze, Bopha Phorn, Najiba Ayubi, and Edna Machirori and the extraordinary lengths they've gone to in order to shed light on their war-torn and poverty-stricken countries. After being honored in New York City, three of the women (Kelze wasn't able to leave Syria) arrived in L.A. for the West Coast ceremony, cohosted by our own Cindi Leive and mommy-to-be Olivia Wilde.

After the evening concluded, I spoke with Wilde (wearing a gorgeous Cushnie et Ochs design), who told me that these women taught her that "fear isn't an obstacle. That's the common denominator [with these women]." In fact, it's something that she wants to apply to her personal life, especially now that she's going to become a mom. "They all know they could be afraid and they could allow that to stop them, but they choose not to. That's what I'll take with me, and I'll put it to good use," she said.

Meanwhile, Maria Shriver stressed the importance of being an ethical journalist, no matter if you're in a war zone or on a red carpet. "Really good journalism is in short supply," she said. "Be ethical, get all of the facts, and be courageous."

Leive (who stunned in Prabal Gurung) pointed out that "we take for granted that as journalists we're allowed to say, write, shoot, and cover whatever our readers are interested in. These women literally risk their lives to do that. So they make me feel like I can always man up a little more!"

On the carpet, John Corbett (By the way, in person...WOW! How Carrie didn't choose Aidan is beyond me.) and longtime girlfriend Bo Derek told me they drove three and a half hours to be at the event to present Bopha Phorn, 28, with her courage award. "Bopha puts her life on the line every day. She’s been under gunfire quite a bit and death threats," explained Corbett. "I might just have a few people that don’t like the movie that I’m in, but she has people that want to end her stay on this planet.”

Corbett explained that he was driving back to their ranch north of Santa Barbara after the event ("I have to work with the gardener tomorrow to try and fix a broken pipe!"), while Derek was staying in L.A. for the Breeder's Cup this weekend.

Derek also told me that when she was Bopha's age, "I was just worried how big the waves were going to be! I didn't have that drive. It's why I admire these women so much."

Fashion designer Lubov Azria (wife of BCBG's Max Azria and clad in one of Herve Leger's resort designs) echoed Derek's sentiments. "These women are absolutely inspirational and amazing. They're just doing their job, which is so beautiful."

The event, which was held in the ballroom of the Beverly Hills Hotel, was also attended by Elizabeth Henstridge, Marcia Gay Harden, and Omarosa Manigault.

The International Women's Media Foundation is building an emergency response fund to help female journalists like the ones honored last night. To help by donating to the cause, click here.

Who is your favorite female journalist?

Photos: Getty Images

Jessica RadloffWest Coast entertainment writer. Always trying to make each interview more fun than the last. Obsessed with the St. Louis Cardinals, Scott Speedman, Sprinkles cupcakes--and apparently the letter S.